VZCZCXRO0144
RR RUEHLMC
DE RUEHLM #0585/01 1020419
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120419Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3097
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 2945
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9492
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 9089
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 5978
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 4014
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 2946
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 5634
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 2006
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 6527
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
RUEANHA/FAA NATIONAL HQ WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000585 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EB/MTA/MST AND SA/INS; MCC FOR D.NASSIRY AND 
E.BURKE 
SINGAPORE FOR FAA 
BANGKOK FOR TSA/SHARON WALLOOPILLAI 
USDOC FOR EROL YESIN 
 
SENSITIVE, SIPDIS 
 
E.O 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAIR CE
SUBJECT:  SRI LANKA CIVIL AIR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT 
GOALS 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  Sri Lankas civil aviation industry is 
undergoing important changes.  In order to continue 
development of its tourism industry and meet International 
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards within the 
country, the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) wants to build a 
second runway at its main international airport (near 
Colombo), and build another international airport in the 
southeast.  Political interests as well as security issues 
are influencing and delaying important decisions.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) EconOff met with Tilak Collure, Secretary to the 
Ministry of Ports and Aviation and H.M.C. Nimalsiri, 
Director General of Civil Aviation in mid-February to 
discuss key issues affecting the aviation sector.  Among 
the issues discussed were the need for a second runway at 
the nations only international airport and the desire to 
construct a second international airport (alternate 
airport). 
 
¶3.  (U) Currently, the Bandaranaike International Airport 
(BIA) located just north of the capital Colombo is the only 
international airport in Sri Lanka.  It has only one 
runway.  As a result, aircraft coming to Colombo need to 
carry sufficient fuel to divert to Chennai, India (located 
500km away), in case they are unable to land in Sri Lanka 
due to bad weather or the runway is unusable.  Therefore, 
civil aviation officials have identified the need for a 
second runway and an alternate airport. 
 
2nd Runway at Main Airport - Displace Businesses or Homes? 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) A new runway at BIA could support additional air 
traffic as well as avoid complete shutdown of the airport 
should one runway become temporarily unusable.  The GSL has 
two options for a second runway at BIA, one would involve 
relocating many families; the other would require the 
relocation of the largest export processing zone in the 
country which employs about 51,000 people and houses over 
80 factories.  Nimalasiri said that the relocation of the 
export processing zone might be the most expedient option, 
as the relocation of people (2,500) from their homes would 
be especially difficult politically, even though it would 
result in a better layout for the airport.  While several 
studies have recommended moving the Air Force base (that 
shares the BIA runway with civil aircraft) to expand BIA, 
the Air Force is opposed to this option. 
 
Alternate Intl Airport  If we build it, will they come? 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Establishment of a second (alternate) 
international airport in Wirawila in Hambantota (in the 
deep south) has powerful supporters, as Hambantota is the 
constituency of both the President and the Minister of 
Civil Aviation.  The President is reported to be strongly 
in favor of this location, and has several government 
agencies already working on preliminary investigations on 
this site. 
 
¶6. (SBU) According to Nimalsiri, an airport in Hambantota 
would not be economically viable.  The area lacks hotels, 
hospitals and other infrastructure and services an 
international airport would require.  The President, who 
hails from the deep south, envisions the Hambantota of the 
future as an integrated city with connections through 
highways, railways, sea port and an airport  although the 
vision does not entirely prescribe how the airport will 
ll 
best be used.  Civil aviation officials have commented that 
establishment of a cargo airport aligned to the port in the 
south which the President wants to develop would be a 
preferable alternative to a passenger airport, although 
 
COLOMBO 00000585  002 OF 002 
 
 
this alternative begs the question of what sort of cargo in 
a currently rural area would go from a ship to an airplane 
or vice versa. 
 
¶7.  The proposed location for the nations second airport 
has changed frequently, based on political influence more 
than viability.  For instance, the current Aviation cum 
Foreign Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, during his previous 
term as the Aviation Minister pushed Kogalla in Galle 
District as the best site.  The previous United National 
Party regime proposed a second international airport in 
Kalutara District (just south of Colombo), the constituency 
of many UNP stalwarts. 
 
USTDA STUDY TO ASSIST IN DETERMINING MOST VIABLE OPTIONS 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶8.  (U) USTDA is providing a grant for an airport 
investment development program study which will provide the 
government with a 25 year strategic plan for capital 
investment at the BIA (including cost comparison of second 
runway options).  The study will also provide a 
recommendation on the requirements of an airport in Koggala 
or the Southern Region.  US aviation consultancy companies 
have shown considerable interest in the USTDA technical 
assistance program which is open for bidding now.  The 
Embassy has begun to meet with officials from various 
consultancy firms who are visiting the country to prepare 
their bidding documents. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Comment: The proposed location for the second 
airport has changed frequently, based on political 
influence more than viability.  Currently, Hambantota seems 
the hot favorite of the President, but an airport by itself 
could well be another white elephant as the area lacks 
sufficient economic activity to cater to an airport.  While 
development of a seaport in Hambantota has been discussed 
for years, it remains only a vague goal at this time.  Post 
is not aware of any serious potential investors.  We 
believe the pending USTDA study will help resolve some of 
the issues required to discern in which projects the GSL 
should develop, the trick will then be overcoming political 
obstacles and bureaucratic delays. 
 
LUNSTEAD